My chat with John Kuvakas - Addendum No. 1

I thank both John for the interview and those who sat through my 32-minute "short take". In actuality, there was about 10-15 minutes more - after the initial interview was over, I told John I had forgotten some other important points, so the Zoom meeting continued. Technology being what it is sometimes, John said it got lost, so here is the gist of the missing video.

When John asked me "when did you start collecting" I started off with my Dinky/Matchbox/Corgi memories. But it really should have been a two-part answer. When I graduated from toys to plastic model kits in the early 1960s, including the old AMT 3 in 1 kits, I discovered plastic modeling tips in Rod & Custom magazine. These tips became so popular, that in June 1964, the publisher launched Rod & Custom Models magazine (R&CM) which I immediately subscribed to. The August 1964 issue contained an article by Joe Molloy on collecting diecasts. What a revelation! Those toys I had were as legitimate to collect as stamps or coins! From this point I looked at them in a new light as collectibles, so this is when I became a 'collector' (at not quite 12 years old). 

R&CM lasted a whole 8 issues (I still have them all), and there were two more articles by Joe Malloy (displaying and 'chopping'). R&C then folded the model stuff back into an expanded single magazine. In April 1965 Joe Molloy wrote an article about where to find miniature cars. A lot of manufacturers were listed, including Marc Europa (the GTO kit was an 'expensive' $3.50, with builts at $5.00). Molloly listed four mail order suppliers - not Sinclairs though I think perhaps Dave was in business by then. But he did list Lynn Becker as selling Gama diecasts. Lynn and Dean Criss would found Replicars, which then became Becker's Miniature Autos, which then became Marque Products under Gene Parrill's ownership. R&C would continue to have the occasional diecast review for several years. 

Needless to say my copies of both of these magazines are well worn, having been poured over many times. They are both crucial to the history of the hobby, but very few collectors are even aware of their existence. But R&C/R&CM led to my knowledge of mail order minis, which led to their newsletter tidbits about MCC and later Traders' Horn, which led to contacts with collectors in the USA and worldwide. So, pivotal.